1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns oral administration of pyruvate and dihydoxyacetone to animals having diabetic tendencies to improve the glucose metalbolism of said animals.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Pyruvate and dihydroxyacetone and mixtures of pyruvate and dihydroxyacetone have been described for a number of beneficial results:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,158,057 describes oral administration of pyruvate and dihydroxyacetone to prevent excessive accumulation of fatty deposits in a mammal liver due to ethanol ingestion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,835 describes oral administration of pyruvate and dihydroxyacetone to reduce an expected weight gain from a given diet or to induce a weight loss in a mammal. The patent also describes oral administration of pyruvate and dihydroxyacetone to athletes prior to strenuous athletic events to increase endurance and/or performance.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,415,575 describes oral administration of pyruvate and dihydroxyacetone to increase the body protein concentration in a mammal.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,937 describes oral administration of pyruvate to a mammal to induce a weight loss or reduce an expected weight gain from a given diet.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,645,764 descrieb oral administration to a living being of pyruvate and dihydroxyacetone to induce a weight loss or to reduce an expected weight gain from a given diet and for inhibiting body fat while increasing body protein concentration.
Copending U.S. application Ser. No. 901,402, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,812,478, describes oral administration of dihydroxyacetone to an animal to induce a weight loss or to reduce an expected weight gain from a given diet.
Copending patent application Ser. No. 232,118, filed on even date herewith, describes the use of pyruvate and dihydoxyacetone for increasing the glucose uptake in the muscles of an animal.
These described results of oral administration of pyruvate and/or dihydroxyacetone are of great interest for medical patients who ingest ethanol; medical patients having fatty liver deposits or tendencies toward fatty liver deposits; medical patients who are obese or have a tendency toward obesity; normalsubjects desiring to lose body weight or to retard body weight increase; normal patients, particularly athletes, who desire to increase endurance.